Lily plant named ‘Tiny Pearl’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lily plant named ‘Tiny Pearl’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; vigorous growth habit; densely-foliated habit; freely flowering habit; upright flower buds; large greyed purple-colored flowers with broad tepals; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Lilium L.

Cultivar denomination: ‘TINY PEARL’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lily plant, commercially known as Asiatic Hybrid Lily, botanically known as Lilium L. and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Tiny Pearl’.

The new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in 't Zand, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new compact and dense potted Asiatic Hybrid Lily plants with large flowers, attractive flower coloration and good postproduction longevity.

The new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant originated from a cross-pollination in 2000 of an unnamed proprietary selection of Lilium L., not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed proprietary selection of Lilium L., not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the resultant progeny of the cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in 't Zand, The Netherlands in 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant by bulb scales in a controlled greenhouse environment in 't Zand, The Netherlands since 2004 has shown that the unique features of this new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Tiny Pearl’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Tiny Pearl’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Densely-foliated habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Upright flower buds.     -   6. Large greyed purple-colored flowers with broad tepals.     -   7. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily have broader flower         tepals than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily and the female parent         selection differ in flower color as plants of the female parent         selection have light pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily have larger flowers         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily and the male parent         selection differ in flower color as plants of the male parent         selection have pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily can be compared to plants of Asiatic Hybrid Lily ‘Tiny Athlete’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,641. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in 't Zand, The Netherlands, plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily differed primarily from plants of ‘Tiny Athlete’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily had larger flowers with         broader tepals than plants of ‘Tiny Athlete’.     -   2. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily had darker-colored         flowers than plants of ‘Tiny Athlete’.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Tiny Pearl’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants that were grown during the spring in 15-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in 't Zand, The Netherlands and under cultural conditions and practices typically used in Asiatic Hybrid Lily production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 16° C., night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels were about 6,000 lux. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were two months old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lilium L. ‘Tiny Pearl’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Lilium L., not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Lilium L., not patented. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright flowering plant; single             erect flowering stem with a terminal cluster of flowers;             compact and dense plant habit; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 32 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 22 cm.         -   Plant circumference.—About 70 cm.         -   Bulbs.—Diameter: About 10 cm to 20 cm. Texture: Smooth.             Color: Close to 155D.         -   Flowering stems.—Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length:             About 1 cm to 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 143B.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple; sessile. Quantity of             leaves per plant: About 80. Length, lower leaves: About             9 cm. Width, lower leaves: About 2 cm. Length, upper leaves:             About 12 cm. Width, upper leaves: About 2 cm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Decurrent. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth;             leathery. Venation pattern: Parallel. Color: Developing and             fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A;             venation, close to 137A. Developing and fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B; venation, close to             138B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement.—Single flowers arranged in umbellate             inflorescences.         -   Flower shape and aspect.—Flowers are funnel-shaped and when             fully opened, tepals flatten and recurve towards the apex;             flower buds face upright and flowers face mostly upright.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit, large bulbs will             produce about seven flowers per flowering stem.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower naturally in June             and July in The Netherlands; plants can be flowered             year-round in the greenhouse and forced to bloom about 60             days after planting.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Good postproduction longevity,             flowers last about twelve days on the plant; tepals not             persistent; gynoecium persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 8 cm. Diameter: About 2.75 cm.             Circumference: About 8 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Color: Close             to 144C, with development close to 85D; sutures, close to             144C.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 16 cm. Length (height): About 7             cm.         -   Perianth.—Quantity/arrangement: Six tepals per flower;             tepals imbricate. Tepal length, inner tepals: About 9 cm.             Tepal width, inner tepals: About 4.5 cm. Tepal length, outer             tepals: About 9 cm. Tepal width, outer tepals: About 3 cm.             Tepal shape: Lanceolate. Tepal apex: Acute. Tepal margin:             Entire. Tepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Tepal color: When opening, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 185C. Fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 185C.         -   Pedicels.—Angle: About 45° to 70° from stem axis. Strength:             Strong. Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About             six. Filament length: About 6 cm. Filament color: Towards             the base, close to 155D; towards the apex, close to 56C.             Anther length: About 2 cm. Anther color: Close to 31C.             Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 169A.             Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Style length: About             5.5 cm. Style color: Close to 155D; towards the apex, close             to 184C.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Color:             Close to 145A.         -   Seed produced.—No viable seeds observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Asiatic Lilies has not been observed. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily have     exhibited good tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to     tolerate temperatures from about −2° C. to about 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct Lily plant named ‘Tiny Pearl’ as illustrated and described. 